The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a natural liquid fuel and, more particularly, a process that allows a high sulfur natural fuel to be converted into energy by combustion with a substantial reduction in sulfur oxide emissions.
Natural bitumens found in Canada, The Soviet Union, United States, China and Venezuela are normally liquid with viscosities ranging from 10,000 to 200,000 CP and API gravities of less than 10. These natural bitumens are currently produced either by mechanical pumping, steam injection or by mining techniques. Wide spread use of these materials as fuels is precluded for a number of reasons which include difficulty in production, transportation and handling of the material and, more importantly, unfavorable combustion characteristics including high sulfur oxide emissions and unburned solids. Because of the foregoing, the natural bitumens have not been successfully used on a commercial basis as fuels due to the high costs associated with steam injection, pumping and flue gas desulfurization systems which are necessary in order to overcome the foregoing difficulties.
Naturally it would be highly desirable to be able to use the natural bitumens of the type set forth above as a natural fuel.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a process for the production of a natural liquid fuel from natural bitumens.
It is a particular object of the present invention to produce a natural liquid fuel from natural bitumens by forming an oil in water emulsion of said natural bitumens.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an oil in water emulsion for use as a liquid fuel having characteristics for optimizing the combustion project.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide optimum burning conditions for the combustion of an oil in water emulsion of natural bitumens so as to obtain excellent combustion efficiency, low unburned particulate solids and low sulfur oxide emissions.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.